Hero Boiled Alive

July 20, 1981 — At Yellowstone National Park, 24-year-old David Allen Kirwan died after a desperate attempt to rescue a friend’s dog from the park’s scalding Celestine Pool.

Kirwan, visiting with his friend Ronald Ratliff and Ratliff’s dog Moosie, watched in horror as the dog leapt into the 202°F hot spring. While bystanders shouted warnings, Kirwan reportedly replied, “Like hell I won’t!” and dove headfirst into the pool.

He reached Moosie but could not pull the animal free. Moments later, Kirwan resurfaced near the edge, where Ratliff dragged him out. Witnesses described his skin peeling from severe burns as he muttered, “That was stupid… What a stupid thing I did.”

Suffering third-degree burns across nearly his entire body, Kirwan died the next day in a Salt Lake City hospital. Moosie did not survive.

The tragedy stands as a stark reminder of the hidden lethality of Yellowstone’s hot springs — natural wonders that are often as deadly as they are beautiful.